


Excelsior: Recluse

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Drama, M/M, hurt-comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-10-15
Updated: 2003-10-15
Packaged: 2017-11-01 12:00:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/356505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If the soul dies before the body, only a ghost of the person is left. (Second installment in the Excelsior series.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Excelsior: Recluse

**Author's Note:**

> The second installment in my Excelsior Series; sequel to "Excelsior: Alliance" - prior reading of the first installment is recommended. 

## Excelsior: Recluse

by Lexalot

<http://www.livejournal.com/users/lexalot>

* * *

Excelsior: Recluse  
By: Lexalot 

Summary: If the soul dies before the body, only a ghost of the person is left. 

Rating: NC-17 

Disclaimer: They have the paper, but fans have the power! :) 

Pairing: Lex/Bruce 

Beta: Thanks to lolitaluthor and coffeejunkii! 

Inspiration and Reference: Music - "Nature Boy" by David Bowie and Massive Attack 

* * *

The day Bruce came to Lex's room something mutual had been born. As far as Lex was concerned that gesture established the fact that there was enough interest on Bruce's part for him to want Lex's companionship. In what capacity and to what extent seemed to be gray areas. Lex sensed that just about everything was painted gray when it came to Bruce. 

That evening they had not ventured very far into carnal territory. They had both come fully clothed, and Lex had wondered why his savior had been so reserved. It had seemed like such a shy, virginal encounter to Lex, but he realized that he was coming from a world of experience that vastly differed from Bruce's. Sort of anti-climactic, but the real thrill of their afternoon together was the revelation of his rescuer's identity. 

Bruce Wayne was a mystery that Lex was more than willing to spend his patience trying to decode. 

Lex did not have to wait long for his first chance to explore the enigma that was this fifteen year-old boy. 

Two weeks later, Bruce simply arrived at Lex's dorm and said, almost listlessly, "I won't be comfortable here, so you should just come stay with me tonight." It was the most random and haphazard remark that Lex had heard from Bruce. Through all the classes they had together, and the one-sided conversations Lex had tried to facilitate with him, Bruce had never once come out of left field to say anything Lex felt was as significant or unexpected as this sudden invitation. They had yet to spend a night together, or to have another sexual rendezvous for that matter, so this was surprising enough to render Lex speechless. Then, Lex returned to his senses and responded with a suave approval, hiding his excitement rather nicely. 

The shock of the proposition had barely worn off when Lex discovered that Bruce lived in his own private residence off campus. It was large and secluded. Not quite a castle, but a small manor in its own right. Lex had seen pictures of Wayne Manor, and this place resembled its design with the gothic spires and arches, only this architectural feat was on a scale not nearly as grand. Lex presumed the similarities made it Bruce's home away from home. 

What Lex found most beautiful about this impromptu arrangement was that this got him off school grounds and there was not a damn thing Dean Reynolds could do about it. Bruce had more than sway here. He had power. He had say. That was the way it worked anywhere Bruce went, evidently. 

Lex had witnessed Bruce's masterful wielding of his own personal hierarchy a couple days after they had met. The Dean had called Lex into his office to officially expel him for returning to campus so drunk and stoned the night Bruce had saved him. Reynolds had been barking out lectures about how Lex's father was not going to be able to bail him out of anything this time, and that this was the last straw, and blah blah blah, et cetera, et cetera... 

That was when Bruce barged into the Dean's office without knocking. Lex couldn't help but notice how Bruce had met no resistance to his intrusion, and Lex had been completely in awe of this display. Bruce must have heard the announcement over the PA system that had summoned Lex to Reynolds' office, and had come to save him again. At least, Lex assumed that had been Bruce's purpose, because that was precisely what had happened. Bruce had asked to speak to the Dean in private, so Reynolds had dismissed Lex. When Bruce emerged from the Dean's office five minutes later, he unceremoniously announced, "Your expulsion is being reversed." That having been said, Bruce left Lex standing in the hall, dumbfounded. 

With that incident on replay in Lex's mind, he grinned madly, imagining the freedom he would enjoy spending the night at Bruce's. There was no watchful eye to dictate orders here, and Lex knew that must have been a large part of what appealed so strongly to Bruce about living here. Hell, if Lex were to move in here with Bruce, he would feel the joys of emancipation just as Bruce knew them. Lex could be totally independent, even if only by proxy, as he would live vicariously through his savior. He was leaping far ahead of himself into the future, as if this night was going in that direction for certain, but he believed that something more permanent was what Bruce had in mind as well. 

This rather large mansion in the depths of the countryside was devoid of humanity. The only living presence here was a small staff consisting of two maids and a cook for the kitchen, all of whom had little to no interaction with Bruce directly. Bruce wanted it that way. He claimed that he was not used to having servants, which struck Lex as more than a bit odd, but he did not press the point. Couple that inherent isolation with the fact that the nearest inhabited space was the Excelsior campus a few miles away, and those conditions made it easy for Lex to imagine that Bruce was lonely. For Christ's sake, Bruce did not even have plants! Therefore, it seemed only natural that Bruce would welcome Lex's company on a regular basis, this night setting the precedent for a new stage of their relationship. 

Once they were inside, Bruce fell into what Lex supposed was his usual routine. Bruce took to reading, scribbling furious notes, and tending to his studies. Lex was highly impressed by the ferocity with which Bruce pursued his education, especially since most of the books he was pouring through and copying from were not even for school. They shared almost every class. Bruce's advanced intellect placed him at the same grade level as Lex, even though he had just started high school. Perusing the stack of books Bruce had piled high on the table, Lex knew a good majority of them were not required reading material. Bruce's ambition was somewhat intimidating, but it seemed to be a cold fire that burned within him. Bruce's passion for knowledge did not add a hint of warmth to his icy and distant exterior. Lex watched him carry on with the speed and skill of a robot, seeming about as human as one while he was at it. 

After about a half hour of just watching Bruce at work in his personal library, Lex decided he wanted to explore on his own. Without interrupting Bruce, Lex rose from the wooden table, his departure going completely unnoticed. 

As Lex traveled through the cavernous rooms, he soaked up the ambiance of his surroundings, taking note of Bruce's tastes along the way. The place was filled with a silent sadness that seemed to complement Bruce's eternal mood and shrouded soul. Cool, full of shadows, devoid of expression, but somehow indescribably attractive. The decorum was medieval with a sparse sprinkling of gothic furniture. To Lex, the minimalist interior design reflected Bruce's personality. 

An hour passed. Lex had walked almost every room when he turned to see Bruce standing on the other side of the one he was in the midst of examining. 

"I'm going to bed." Bruce's tone was flat, but his words said more than enough for Lex to catch his meaning. 

"Okay." Lex replied just as flatly, not really intending to mock Bruce, but to mimic his indifference. 

All Lex did was blink and Bruce had vanished from sight, most likely down the drafty and dimly lit corridors just out of view. 

With his newly gained knowledge of the mansion, Lex merely followed his memory back to the master bedroom. However, when he arrived there, Bruce was nowhere to be seen. It was slightly odd that Lex would make his way here before Bruce, but Lex dismissed the notion as his mind started to focus on what was undoubtedly brewing. Lex's mind and cock were ripe with the tension that energized the air. Tonight would be the night Lex had been dreaming of since he met Bruce two weeks ago. 

A smile dawned on his face as he realized this was the perfect opportunity to take a shower. It would give him a proper excuse to have dispensed with his clothes by the time Bruce arrived. Perhaps Bruce would even discover the water running when he came in and decide to join him. The possibility thrilled Lex and propelled him quickly out of his loathsome uniform and into the bathroom. He left the door open just a sliver, hoping to lure Bruce in out of curiosity. 

It only took him about fifteen minutes, and then he was out of the shower. He was slightly disappointed that Bruce had not discovered him and taken advantage of the situation that Lex had so meticulously created to entice his boy savior. But Lex imagined that Bruce just had other things to do and had not yet returned to his bedroom, and that just meant a slight change of plans. He conceived of a delicious secondary option. After drying off, Lex would lay down on the bed, atop the covers, his body bare, waiting for Bruce's entrance. 

Determined to follow through with the course of this seduction, Lex grabbed a towel, preparing to go ahead with his back-up plan. As he patted his pale skin dry, he glanced at the mirror, slowing his movement as he realized it was angled oddly. He stopped moving entirely when he realized the mirror was on hinges and seemed to be concealing what Lex assumed was a hidden medicine cabinet. With the mirror hanging open a crack, Lex could not curb his curiosity enough to keep him from slowly swinging the it over to open the compartment fully. 

Lex's eyes widened, his mouth agape as he stared at the little secret he had inadvertently discovered. He had been right. The mirror concealed a medicine cabinet, and that was exactly what stared back at him. Six shelves were inside, every one of them packed with little pharmaceutical bottles containing various amounts of pills. There had to have been at least fifty little containers, most of them either transparent amber or solid white. The sheer volume astounded Lex. Some cancer patients did not keep this amount of drugs. Lex's mother had not had this many. 

Lex began examining the labels. Every single one was prescribed for Bruce Wayne, but they weren't for any physical diseases or illnesses. There was a fair portion of painkillers and an excessive number of anti-depressants. This exposed a dimension of Bruce under his glacial facade, and Lex got the abrupt impression that this was only a scratch on that arctic surface. 

Something moved in Lex's heart. Something stirred in his soul. 

Bruce obviously suffered chronically from some psychological trauma. This discovery inspired Lex's sympathy. Lex had desired Bruce from the beginning, but he had never actually felt anything deeper than intrigue and lust-ridden gratitude for him until that moment. Now Lex felt sorrow for Bruce. Not a patronizing pity, but genuine sorrow. For the first time since he had become involved with this boy, Lex was actually touched by Bruce's sadness. 

Finally, he decided he had lingered too long, and shut the compartment tight. 

With a distinct solemnity falling over him, Lex opened the bathroom door to slip into bed and wait for his host. However, when he walked out, he stopped mid-step, confronted with the image of Bruce lying under the covers, having presumably arrived sometime during Lex's shower. The boy hero remained mute, his eyes not glancing up for a second. His concentration and complete attention seemed anchored to the book in his hand. 

Unsure how to proceed, Lex paused, considering his options. He tried to solve the puzzle of this moment, attempting to interpret Bruce's passivity and speculate as to what was going on in his head. It was proving impossible though. 

As Lex was struggling with the awkwardness of the situation and the questions running through his mind, it seemed as if Bruce could sense his uneasiness. Without lifting his eyes from the page he was reading, Bruce casually addressed him. "Did you find the contents of my medicine cabinet interesting?" 

Though Bruce's omniscience threw Lex off guard temporarily, he recovered well, understanding that Bruce was searching for honesty. "Yes, I did." 

"And?" Bruce prompted, most definitely hearing unspoken volumes resonate from Lex's lips. 

Plucking the most natural and authentic response from his adolescent brain, Lex answered. "I wondered if you'd be willing to share the Valium." 

The quiet air swelled and thickened. 

The sound of Bruce turning a page. 

Then, still glued to the printed word, "Is this your idea of fun?" 

As he stood naked a few feet from the bed, yet to be acknowledged, Lex grew bored, and he retorted, "I was just about to ask you the same thing." 

"If you want to ask me something, then just ask me." 

Lex nodded to himself. There was one question that had burned a hole in his head. It was responsible for the spot where Bruce was leaking into his brain. That was the best place to start if Bruce was inviting an inquisition. "Why did you save me?" Nothing had possessed Lex's mind of late like that riddle. 

"Why do you want to know?" 

Because it was key to everything. Because it would imply his life meant something to someone. Because it never occurred to him that his worth encompassed anything beyond his wealth. "Because no one's ever bothered to come to my rescue before." 

"I saved you because you were in danger. Nothing more. Nothing less." 

Somehow that reply infused Lex with a warmth he could not pinpoint. He almost fancied it a tragedy. His boy savior was so naive in his brave morality that he didn't know Lex was not a good investment for salvation. At least, Lex never thought that he was worth saving. That someone else thought differently made Lex feel like he was being viewed as a normal person, which was unprecedented in his existence. Almost as if Bruce were unable to judge him the way others did. And for all Lex knew, Bruce didn't judge him at all. It was unique, refreshing, and above all, endearing. 

Lex approached the bed, driven by a burst of impulsive momentum. He climbed up next to Bruce, sliding onto the bed to rest at his savior's side. When Bruce remained annoyingly distracted, Lex snatched the paperback from his hand and tossed it to the floor. Bruce's eyes turned to Lex for the first time since he had paraded out of the bathroom without so much as a towel to cover himself. Finally, Bruce's eyes roamed the marble flesh laid out beside him, and instantly, Lex felt him go hard. Lex took an inordinate measure of satisfaction from Bruce's reaction, reveling in Bruce's notice and want. 

Functioning on sexual instinct alone, Lex pulled Bruce on top of him, coaxing him between his legs, and guiding him into position. Lex relaxed every muscle in his body, preparing himself for Bruce's imminent penetration. When he encouraged Bruce to push inside, Bruce managed to sink most of his length into the opening. As Bruce grew more confident, his thrusts became more anxious, graduating to fierce, becoming nearly vicious. 

Pain. But Lex endured faithfully, savoring the incredible surge of red-hot passion stoking in this boy that had probably never been glimpsed before. The embers in Bruce were finally burning. Lex knew this was not a side of Bruce that anyone saw. The intimacy born therein made the agony exquisite, and stimulated him to his climax. Lex's slim frame was racked with spasms until he stilled. Then he graciously allowed the extra minute of aggressive pounding into him so his lover could come. 

The whole act was over too quickly, but it was more than enough to leave Lex feeling satisfied with the results of his first night with Bruce. 

His boy savior rolled away and the bed creaked as Bruce's weight lifted off it. Lex realized Bruce was leaving the bed, but he was too worn from their exertion to care. Lex fell asleep alone on his side of the bed, an abstract feeling of happiness bordering on lucidity as he drifted into a dream. 

* * *

For once, Bruce was sound asleep in his own bed with Lex. 

In the three weeks since Lex had started staying here in seclusion with his new lover, Bruce had never just slept in his own bedroom. His strange nighttime habits kept him awake and restless most nights. When Lex did find him sleeping, it was elsewhere in the mansion, usually on the large sofa in front of the fireplace. Otherwise, Lex would get up in the early morning hours to see what Bruce was doing at that ungodly hour. More likely than not, Lex would come upon Bruce just sitting in a chair in some darkened room. No lights, no books, no purpose. Lost in a deeply detached state of brooding. It was as if he put himself into a trance. 

On rare occasion though, Lex would seek Bruce out only to discover him immersed in some activity that just looked bizarre so late at night. Bruce would be practicing martial arts or jogging around the manor. One time, Lex even caught him scaling the stone walls of the mansion. Bruce acted like there was nothing abnormal about all of this, and Lex didn't argue. He just assumed that whereas some people figuratively climbed walls to break up the monotony, Bruce did it literally. That thought amused Lex greatly. Living with Bruce would obviously never be dull. 

Another oddity was that Bruce's butler had called on occasion from Gotham City to check up on him. His butler? Lex had some difficulty wrapping his mind around this concept, but when Bruce had explained that Alfred was his butler, he had also added that Alfred was his caretaker. Again, Lex didn't ask. He figured there would be a time for such discussion, which would arise of its own volition. 

Lex glanced over at Bruce as they lay in the same bed for once, and Lex only wished that he could see the boy's face. Bruce had his back to him, but Lex knew that Bruce had drifted off because he had finally stopped moving. Any time Bruce had succumbed to sleep it was only achieved with help, and tonight was no exception. There were a couple bottles of sleeping pills in Bruce's medicinal cache, and Lex noted that Bruce never seemed to get any peace unless he took them, which he rarely did. 

Bruce never slept in his own bed with Lex, though, so Lex was lying awake this night rather enjoying Bruce's proximity. Lex watched the gentle rise and fall of Bruce's silhouette. Bruce seemed more tranquil than Lex had witnessed thus far, and his presence was soothing for a change. He could not remember ever enjoying the company of a lover in this way before, and he certainly knew he didn't care for any of his previous lovers enough to have been around them on such a regular basis. Nevertheless, all of Lex's belongings were here now, having made the transition from his dorm to Bruce's off-campus residence so gradually and effortlessly that Lex could hardly believe how comfortable this felt. 

Something wrenched Lex from his thoughts. A tremor had shaken the bed. Lex looked over when it came again, and he realized Bruce was starting to shake. Bruce's body began tossing violently. Lex called to him. "Bruce?" No response, and the boy was still trapped in the throes of this quake. It was a nightmare, and Lex became desperate to wrench him from it. "Bruce. Bruce, wake up!" He placed a hand on Bruce's arm, and his grip tightened, frantically trying to stop Bruce from thrashing. "Bruce!" 

Eyes opened, locking on Lex's. There was a feral quality to them, wild panic, as if Bruce believed he was being harmed. With much dismay, Lex recognized the fear-addled horror staring back at him. He wanted to calm Bruce, wanted to pluck out the pain, and make everything better. It was a nurturing and compassionate instinct that was quite foreign to him. He had not cared enough about anyone before to want to shelter them from their suffering. "It's okay. It was just a dream." When Lex uttered those words, Bruce looked at him in confusion. 

Then, the weirdest thing happened. Bruce's eyes glazed over, water welling in them, but not a single tear fell. Lex had never seen Bruce so distraught. Emotional. Vulnerable. It was disconcerting. Lex was scared by Bruce's lack of response and his distressed state. He needed to know what all that had been about, but at this point, any communication would reassure Lex that his savior was not falling catatonic. "Bruce?" 

At his plea for a response, Bruce merely blinked, like it had just dawned on him that he was not alone. Slowly, Bruce wrapped his arms around Lex and just held him, sinking his head into Lex's chest. The gesture left Lex at a loss. The last thing Lex would have imagined Bruce would do was to seek solace or refuge in another. Yet that was exactly what Bruce was doing, and Lex could only return the embrace. Lex didn't understand it, but he knew Bruce needed it by the way he clutched Lex to him. Bruce didn't cry or talk, and for a while, he refused to even budge. 

After a significant amount of time had passed, Bruce fell back asleep with Lex spooned up against him. 

Bruce's insomnia seemed to have transferred to Lex, because now Lex was involuntarily wide awake, a landslide of thoughts bombarding him. 

Lex marveled at how close Bruce felt now, how intimate his behavior was at this moment. Bruce appeared to take incredible consolation in the fact that Lex was near him. It seemed as though Bruce was actually relieved to have Lex there, treating him more like a friend instead of just any roommate. However, Lex knew better than to expect it to last beyond that night. 

The most unsettling thing about the situation was that Lex was growing accustomed to it all too easily. 

* * *

Lex was in as far as he could get, because Bruce kept tensing. No matter how many times Lex asked him to just relax, Bruce would become agitated and impatient with the effort this was taking. Through all the resistance they had dealt with and time they had spent to achieve this level of penetration, the endeavor was finally getting underway. 

Carefully angling his strokes so as to ease the physical discomfort for Bruce while aiming to hit the spot he knew was there, Lex pumped in and out of his young lover. There was something indescribably beautiful about Bruce, his features contorting as he was caught up in the mix of pleasure and pain. Lex stared at his boy savior, intoxicated by the feel of ownership, but it was oddly deeper than that. All the emotion that had built up in Lex in the past two and a half months seemed to solidify and take shape. There was a sensation sweeping through Lex's body. A feeling that had he had never really known until this moment. 

"Bruce..." As Lex opened his mouth to finish that statement, Bruce's eyes widened and fixed on him. 

Bruce's tone was harsh and commanding. "Don't!" 

It was a warning, but it went unheeded. 

Lex followed through on his predetermined declaration. "I love you." 

The boy's eyes blazed with scorn, and he glared angrily at Lex. "Get off me." When Lex froze, too mired in confusion and disappointment to comply, Bruce beat at Lex's chest and shoved him with ample force. "Get off me!" With one good push, Bruce threw Lex to the side and scurried out of the bed. 

Bruce stood, hesitant to leave, but appearing much like a caged animal, uncomfortable and anxious. All Lex could do was stare at him. The wake of that split second had swallowed them both whole. There were no words, and there was no way to undo the creation and subsequent destruction of that moment. Inevitably, Bruce exited the room, abandoning Lex to assess his own mental repercussions while Bruce most likely retreated to do the same. 

Soon, it occurred to Lex that the last ones to ever say those words to Bruce were probably his parents. 

Once that likely fact came to light, Lex was able to compose himself again. He dressed in his uniform. After all, he and Bruce did have class that morning, and this incident, not to mention the sexual activity before it, had eaten the night hours away. Feigning a fairly convincing air of nonchalance, Lex set out to locate Bruce. He headed for the kitchen, carrying on their usual routine of meeting there at seven for breakfast. 

Sure enough, there was Bruce, sitting at the table, picking lazily at the food on his plate. The sight was a relief, because Lex had been afraid that Bruce might have taken off somewhere to avoid a confrontation, or pulled any number of stunts. He knew Bruce had a highly unpredictable disposition, and Lex had also been worried that under the circumstances those tendencies would amplify to perilous heights. Fortunately, this did not seem to be the case. Everything seemed as normal as could be with Bruce, so Lex acted in turn. He sat down in the empty chair across from Bruce. Lex couldn't help but gaze at Bruce, some of the regret over what had happened seeping into his eyes. 

Bruce paused, seeming excessively aware of Lex's eyes burrowing into him. Though the attention directed at him must have been aggravated him further and been just as unnerving, Bruce looked apologetic. Lex didn't expect any more than that expression on his boy savior's face. He would rather not dwell upon what had happened or prolong this feeling by discussing anything, and he was sure Bruce felt the same. Lex wanted to spare them both that awkwardness. Besides, it seemed wise to roll with Bruce's tempestuous personality rather than try to fight it. 

In that spirit, he managed to break a smile, and timidly put a question to the air. "Do you want to come home with me for Thanksgiving?" 

"Thanksgiving?" Lackluster monotone firmly in place. Same old Bruce. Again, as if he were never any different. "That's a family thing, isn't it?" 

Lex scoffed at the notion in spite of himself and his so-called family. "Not at my house." 

Bruce signed exhaustively. "Why would I want to go?" 

Lex's sense of humor was rapidly being restored as he grew more confident. He answered with a flippant question of his own. "You have better plans?" 

Quiet disapproval radiating from Bruce, he eyed Lex reluctantly. That was all the concession Lex required to know Bruce would cave to his desire. 

Bruce Wayne at the Luthor Penthouse with Lex and his father for the holiday. Lex brimmed with anticipation. This would be interesting... 


End file.
